[jdonn]

xx Qxx JTx AJTxx, online practice session

LHO deals and opens a strong artificial 2♣. RHO bids 2♦ showing no aces and at most one king. LHO bids 2NT about 22-24. RHO bids 3♣ stayman which you double. LHO bids 3NT, explained in the alert box as a min with both majors, and RHO passes.

2♣ 2♦
2NT 3♣ (X)
3NT P

Partner leads the 6 of clubs. Dummy comes down with JTxx xx Q9xx xxx. I will assure you that, as dummy suggests, there was a misunderstanding. In other words LHO feels the agreement about 3NT applies over the double but RHO doesn't.

The missing clubs between partner and declarer are K-Q-7-4. Partner would lead high from a doubleton and low from any 3 card holding (unless he has the KQ haha). How do you defend? (If you are planning to win the ace and your trick 2 play depends what declarer plays at trick 1 then go through the possibilities please.)

[hanp]

I think it is close between playing the ace of clubs, then the jack of clubs and when it holds switching to a heart, and just playing the 10 now. I'll go with the latter. Although it is possible, it doesn't seem likely that declarer can win 9 tricks off the top. If he has KQx of clubs, we may have given him a tempo. If partner has K864, we look foolish.

[JLOGIC]

Han...dummy has 3 clubs and we have 5. If partner has Kxx we just have them beat by running clubs...LHO will have Qx.

I don't understand playing the ten. If LHO has KQx we stop him from having 2 club tricks directly, but we also give him a tempo if he has something like AKQx ATxx Ax KQx, or AQxx Axxx AK KQx (he knocks out the spade and can cash 4 diamonds).

So it seems like if partner has Kxx of clubs winning the ace is right, and if partner has 2 small winning the ace and shifting to a heart is right, and if he has Qxx it doesnt matter either way.

I must be missing something here. I guess there are some layouts where ducking to be passive because declarer has too much work to do is best that I'm not thinking of, but I can't go against my instinct to the 2 most natural ways to set this.

So my answer is win the ace and if LHO plays the 4 continue with a club, if LHO plays the 7 shift to a small heart. I'm quite optimistic partner will have Kxx of clubs.

[hanp]

dummy had 2 clubs last time I looked.